In his essay On Stories, Lewis wrote I have seen landscapes, notably in the Mourne Mountains and southwards which under a particular light made me feel that at any moment a giant might raise his head over the next ridge.

Although in adult life Lewis lived in England, he returned to Ulster often and retained fond memories of the Irish scenery, saying I yearn to see County Down in the snow; one almost expects to see a march of dwarfs dashing past.

[2][3] In later years, Lewis remembered the sounds of the sea, the cliffs rising above it, and the ruined medieval towers of Dunluce Castle which many authors have speculated may have inspired his creation of Cair Paravel.

Narnia – or 'Narni' in Italian – is in Umbria, halfway between Rome and Assisi.Narnia, a small medieval town, is situated at the top of an olive-covered hill.

One of its most important archaeological features is a Romanesque cathedral, which contains the relics of a number of Umbrian saints.The novels revolve around the fantastical country of Narnia.

Narnia was a land of rolling hills rising into low mountains to the south, and was predominantly forested, except for marshlands in the north.

[5][6] The country is bordered on the east by the Eastern Ocean, on the west by a great mountain range, on the north by the River Shribble, and on the south by Archenland.

The city of Azim Balda, to the south of Tashbaan, is a hub where many roads meet; it hosts the government's postal system.

Deep below Narnia's surface is a dark sunless country Underland and even deeper than that, at the world's base, is the fiery nation of Bism, home to the Gnomes and Salamanders.

[11] The Wood is so named by Polly Plummer, who is transported there when Digory Kirke's Uncle Andrew tricks her into picking up a magic yellow ring.

Some scholars have suggested Dante's Divine Comedy or Algnernon Blackwood's "The Education of Uncle Paul", both of which Lewis was known to have enjoyed, as possible secondary influences.

[15][16] Lewis provided a timeline of events related to The Chronicles of Narnia, in emulation of The Tale of the Years chronology in J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings.

He gave an "Outline of Narnian History" in manuscript form to Walter Hooper, who included it in his essay Past Watchful Dragons: The Fairy Tales of C. S.

For example, the outline dates Queen Swanwhite c. 1502, though according to The Last Battle she ruled Narnia before Jadis returned (meaning that her reign must have ended before 898).